Automatic valve



Dec. 11 1923. 1,476,739

` O. P. TORNGREN AUTOMATIC VALVE Filed July 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Z6 SWP/y o.' e4 l y Z O 6 l S 5 10 f4 ,46

0l Je' 4 /fg' 11| :In 30 40 1li/"0'" Y 30' A r. o if: C Z

` 13' d .j'o a l I 1U 13 i il: .Bhf-.rv uf/on n 2i ,[nve' fg 16 l (if obivgi'cn kaf /izfi/Z f 4M/f )VW O. P. TORNGREN AUTOMATIC VALVE Filed July 17, 1922A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ?atented Dec. il, 1923.

UNITED sra-'rss PATENT OFFICE.

orro P. TORNGREN, or Evnnn'rr, MASSACHUSETTS.

anroiaariovarvn.

Appncafin aiediuiy 17,

To'aZZ inkom t may concern: i Y j Ee 1t known'that I, Orrol?. ToRNGREN,

` a `citizen ofthe United States. residing at Y Everett,

'in the countyl of Mid-.dl sex'v and tate oi' lvassachusetts, have invented .cer-r tain' new and useful Improvements in Auto'- matic Valves, fof which the following 'is a specification.

4 rlhis invention relates to improvements 1n automatic valves. More especially it relates to Vvalve apparatus fora domestic or other hot Water supply Ysystem having a l high pressure.l oi: direct connection are'many` and are'well z known but'ob'ectlons are found'lnthe risks 7 l storage tank, Sometimesknown as a kitch en boiler. 'Much 'trouble arises When such operated in directv connection with a city Water supply system', because'oic the The theoretical advantagesY otcollapse, or explosion, and in the neces- Jior very 'strong materia-ls, with high So iarl sity cost, and vWith'danger of leakage.

vas l am aware'lno satisfactory.arrangement islrnown for ldirectgconnectimi with a city systemV havingthe service presenreg` that arg commonly found. lit is anfob'gect of the 1n;-

vention Vto` avoid these objections ina'pparatus which can be. direct-.connected tocityV pressure service; and so 'also'l to .avoidlthe expense, foulness, constant' Ycare, and-,oc-

casional dangers7 of the old amiliarrattic-e tant: with tica-t valve.

The present inven-V tion accomplishes 'thel paradoxical result 'ot' Qvvhen'a faucet is opened anywhere in the tions.

system' to draw Water from the boiler.. Not only is it open to the supply only duringthe Vlimited times While flow continues; but

`rnoreover the pressure during'such flow is considerably less than under sta-tic condi- For protecting a boiler against expansion Vdue to heat the. only devices, now in" use, 'l I'believe, are in the nature of safety Valves or safety fuseswhich 'automatically open or give Way when the predetermined `safety` limit of pressure or temperature ris passed. vSuch devices, however, are subject to` corrosion, and yfor some o-therreasons have. not proven entirely satisfactory, and sometimes i922.' Sei-mina 575,645'.

toV l `Furthermore, ysince;V no such devices atl'ecty the flow through'ithe boiler in any WayVthere is no' indi'cationpifl one/1s' outV of order, junt1lj thetank has ,givz'anV Way. j *lt is therefore-,useful thatA a i positive relief be provided for" thel boiler pressure, and that it vbev one Whosejactiou Aisdirect ly associated With thelow 'through the boiler so that if it gets ou'tjof order,

that fact will be a Warning at` once.Y l

lt is therefore, 'a main objectofthe pres'- ent invention to provide ai Safety device ,Whioh' will always permit normal flow of Water from-the pressure service;into `the vboiler When Water is j drawn; vcirculation from boiler to tire andy back'to boiler atall tin'ies.,'dischargeA from the boiler through, the

distributing pipes inthe regular vvaypaildA l yet Will-Lkeep theboiler under merely aftmospheric pressure `when j distributionis not occurring. .A 'further vobjectlis the'prov'ision f or 'aconstant pressure supply' tothe distrib-V uting pipes of the system beyond the boilery evenWh`enthe .boiler itself is shutoff from.

the supply pressure.` -Thesehobjects 'are'fac4 complished` by .providing tWol connections betiveen the supply line and thedistributing line, oneolWhich-leads tothe'b'oiler andv lrthence lto theI distributing pipes,V and the othery of which leads direct' Vfrom' the vsupply linefto the distributingline, bypassing-the i boiler'. Each of these'f'branchesof tl1e;-sup,l

vply is ycontrolled by' a separate valve, `and these ,two valves are' associatedin-.such manner that as one opens vthe other closes.' Acpcordingly, When the branch" throughthe boiler is open, andl flow through a Vfaucetv is occurring, the ley-pass VWill'be shut oligand" Y when the 'l'aucetis closed and flow ceases, the

valves kmove to shut off the boiler from' the supply and to connect, the supplyto the faucets. This last movement of the supply valvesis accomplished yby the supply-'pressure itself acting on a thirdor ventvalve,

provided' ina vent passage Which'vopens.

the distributing line `to atmosphere at fa pointA between the boiler or tank and the place Where the bypassleads into thedis-V tributing line. This vent valve isclosed `during; flow, so that no Water or pressure l.

'escapes but,.u`pon all outlets being vclosed and f the iiovvM stopped, the' pressure-"Which at' once builds upin-the Vtank and .the'distributff ing system, thenA acts to forcethis've'nt valve from itsseat,and by means ora system of link-age, connectingits stem with thesupply Valves forces thenito alter their positions so as' to cut H" the supply valve of theVV taiil and to open the luy-pass Valve. `The pres- V'sure then supplied-'through the by-pass, at once acts to maintain'the supply val'ves'in their altered positions, 'for the effective area of the Toy-pass Valve plunger upon which this pressure is-exerted,'isgreater than the area of the ValVeplunger closing the direct y passage; and'zsince these vValve .plun-V gei sV 'are directlyfconn'ected "with each other, this unbalanced vtorce vitillj,continue to l'ie'ep f uit valves iii depositions deseribed., asking V' a's'th'e pressure onthe ley-pass valve contin=i 35 ucs'aboiea predeterinifned point. As v"the 'su"ply pressure is thus/cutoff fioiiithe o er through the direct b'raiicl'i to it, the Vent yal'iie is `fully opened and the tank vent` ed to atmosphere. Afcliecl'r ifalyaint'e'rposed between the Vley-pass V'ciii'i'ection to the discharge lineand'the ientfpassage, is closed oy the pressurefin the dischargeline supplied 'l through the bypass, and thus cuts oilA this i the supply directie the 'tank-' And this shifting iii/these 'yalves'closes-the vent valve yent 'so V'as tolpreyent escape Yof water inthe discliarg'eline 'throughl 's vent. This condition. ireiail's until Sonie cet is opened. Thereur ed bygpass; which .How produces linstant' lo ring Vof the Vpressure V in the discharge pipe. As the nres'su'ie4 'acting onV theV by#L pass Valve falls hel'oiythe point necessary yto.'keep it "open, thefti'ill sul'iply. pressure, which is constantly, acti-ng on theyalveconn` trollingthe Vdirect branch lto 'the boiler, causes the' 'two supply lvalyes toY shift thereby cutting off vthe v'by-"Ariase'passage and opejiiingl loyfyirtue of the lii'ilage h ctii'e'en `theni. already mentioned. The check Valve will yopen fo'rflow throughthe tanle; and disk charge. iyill`, continue` untilv all faucets are again' closed.

Thf app.tirati-Lis niayhe ei'n'hedied in a relat'iyelysiniple compact.structure, in which the supply and the lay-pass'. valves hare a coininonY stein,"iyith one of thes'eialvesv at eac-li end, and the Vent valye is near by, with a mechanical leverageV connection to said stein, by which it is ii'ite'ilocked, so that all three Valves inove snnult ueously .1i-neither direction. rl`he motive poweris the pressure of the Water supplyi Thisis manifest in- --direc'tly, as 'Inoni'e'ntunn r'in the Water iiowing from the boiler when a faucet is closed.,' s'ui y licie'i'it to overcome the pressureat suoply en ce;v and is manifest directly, as a static opening pressure on 'the supply Valve,when

- tra -eyer the resisting pressure is relieved by the opening' oa faucet. 70u another simple embodiment "of the invention these two Valyesare on separate steins, connected by leverage The accompanying drawings the systei'n is static;

YJon7 immediately Walter Y "flows: outfijoin *the Vdi's'c'ha-r'o-e pipeat a asterrrate' than it can vlie supplied through' the.restrict-Y show these two 'of' the sofi' ot apparatus which may he niade in accord-v ance With the principles of the invention.V t is intended that the patent shall cover-by suitable expression in the appended claims,

Whatever .features of patcntahle novelty exist 'in the invention disclosed. y

n the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is an elevation insection of paratus embodying the invention showing the parts in theii` relativeV positions fivhenV Figure Zis a similar 'ral pessihlje Viornis elevation 'on lline oiiltigurc' 3, of aino'ditiedior'in, With the partev arranged as Wl-ienow occurs; and

YFigureSis anend View ronrth'e lett off f Figure 2,

Referring A'to theV drawings, thepip'e 10y represents a supply line, such a-pipe' connected with and served by ,city water system, and r2 indicatesY the hot Water d'istrih'uting system of a building-,- herein v called (10, LLQ) aiid Vitsfloiyerv end forins a pa-rtgotlieh'oiler discharge line v(12, 12)-, 1n V the eniliocliniei'it shown 'in Fig. the apparatus coinprises several sections oined togetheigifincluding a horizontal hase portion v18 rfrom'v which rise ti'vo Ve rti -cal legs, 20,22 neark to l esther, one low andVV the other; relatively high; The-supply pipe Ofente'rs thetop1j` l22,-js"o that Vthe portion of f the" longy leg,

service supply water atfull pressureis'con stantl'y in the upper end .ofi a-chaniber' 'lL/i therein. f This chaniberyis diyidedfinto upa'partition 2,6,hayinjg an openingQS ltherethioughYii/liose effective size may' healtered` by Van adjustable' reducing-valve 3U toffreg`n ulate the ainount'of flow to the tank. [Freni the lower compartment 2s the supply pas sage continues' through a short connecting pipe l0 tothe'hoi'ler. This supply passage, hereinafter' referred to ras the main suo v`lr'Y ,i il y passage oijhranoh, is controlled a`V plun-v ger Valve 3:2 inovable in the-lower coiripja'rt ment 24 andseating upward, against lthe supply pressure, ftowa i."c` l a seat formed around the said opening'vQS. As Vshown'. in Fig. l this 'telve is closed, sothat no iii/atei; can'passthrough the'opening 28 tothe tank.

The plunger 'bodyorsteni of thevalve 32VV yextends donfi'ii'vard `throughv Athe Yvertical leg` 22, through suitable' packing Lglands '841 and 36,'A arranged alooyeand'loelow anopen traineV Work seetion 380i the'leg, into lafch'ainherV l0 in thek portion ofthe legn'e'xt adjacent to the horizontal base section 18., This lower chamber has upper and -loWer compartments 40 and 40 ymade by a. partition vl2 `Whose upper side constitutes a valve' seat for the lower end of the valve plunger 32.-'-'This-nertion oii'the plunger has apertoreted flung@ 32 which slides along thel Walls et' they upper compartment 40 and compartment 4C" conveniently-'made in the, Walls ofthe sections of leg 22;'v Its effecserves as a guide for the plunger. The partition e2 "has an axial opening de. which, like the opening-28 in the upper chamber,

is opened orf-closed by' the; plunger 32.

lli-Then Vthe, plunger is up closing the .openvingv 2S ther lower. opening22-will be open;

and when the plunger is dowinopenlng the.

supply passage et 2,8,"the Vloweropening Llfl'isl closed. The urea ot lthe upper open.-

.inp 28 at'thej value seat is somewhat lessV hen the'area Otheo'pening 44 at its Valve seat.

press-.ire onthe topandon the Abottoni of the plunger, will resultin the plunger Vstay- This isV so thatfequelintensity of inff'up,y ves illustrated. Such equality of intensity of pressure on both ends of. the' plunger is veffected by providing a small passage i6 freni the compartment 24 to the tive size can be altered by a restriction naive s6 controlling .its opening into the chamber fr0. Thispassage ispthe auxiliary supply branch l' or 'by-pass 1 connecting the supply l0 with fthe discharge 12. lor'the llower chamber il() in fthe leg22 is Vin open communica-tion with the-disehargeend of the llllmltlleg 18,.,ofwhich the discharge pipe 11`2'is a contini'iationf.- VVlhen the pluncom h Vdischargeline l2. "-Trofprevent this caus- 'n back llowV .into the boiler through the horizontal legr l8,.there is Varranged in this leg a checlrialve 48. This valve closes an 1 opening 48 in partition 45, located between pressure in the auxiliary branch throughv the check-Valve48. .Y A The tank,- -furthermere st this time has atniosphericV pressure. lnthe short ve flic-sl leg rising` itointhe base 1S, is a relief or Vent opening 5()` leadingvfroin Vthe discharge pessagelS through a chamber sniall drain-pipe GO to atmosphere. opening controlledlby a Valve y-nass 46' and discharge leg k18 is eutol .is Whose guiding steni 52 extends upward purallel with theplunoer 32 and is connected with by n :ii-m54. linkage 56 and u .alve` 32zis up, theservice high pres. is "transmitted through Vthe by-pass to` Y when the lever 58. The lever, being forked around lunoer .32 or 'iassino Vthroufm a slot lin it n 7 l b n 7 and tulci'unied beyond yit on'the freine Work.

of the open section 38 ot. the leg 22., has .a pin and slot connection to the'plfunger' 32 at a suitable ratio.V Because of this mechanical connection the yentyaive 52 Iand the two` When they inov'e up, as in Fig. .1 the 'cutueV Way under part/of theguide stein enters cape past i from the tank` lrand b-aseS, relie'ving'the ltanlrof tlievservice pressure.

.The amount of thisllow is trifling, beceiuse simultaneously thev supplyfis shut off and the distribution-'system :it l-lg undatinosplieiic pressureprevents the coliunn ot- '-.falves enplunger 32 moresimultaneously.`

the opening 50, thus allowing .water to esall Y Water in lO above the opening anddrain 60, freni sinking. This. isy the position of theV severalparts ywhenever'all faucets end other outlets in the discharge pipes lare* Upon the be replaced l2-y the restricted'llow through the Viwf-pass. ccordinglythe'pressure tip-- Ward on the vlower end olv theplungei 32 instantly'beconiesless-than tiet exerts;V down- Ward on its "upper end throughthe opening 28, and the plunger movesV downward, openfing the'direct pe'ssagelO, 28,10 through the upper compartments 2, 24:"fto' the tank. But :the plungei32, in inoving downward,

the tanltito atmosphere'. ln consequence the service pressurcat 101e-'applied through the tank vand discharged to Vdeliyerhot Water e l of the taiilrlat fullservice pressurefthrough check` valve 48, .and 'discharge line l2 vto Whatever; faucet is vopen` lf it is 'desiredfto 'reduce this pressure thatca'nV be done by setting down the plug).V Flowlo'fcold Water througl'i-the byf'pass i6 to theidischerge line is cut oli'l by the: descent und. seating ofthe plunger lto close fthenopening .4A-,f Villien e opening'otany faucet in a nor'. mal manner, thellow el .Water from the dischargepip'e 19 reduces* the pressure .in the compartments/l0', 407,. .faster than Ait cuntlic raucet is closed,'the moinenturoL of the" How'ing Water Ais applied 'tobothjtlie vent Y e Y Both? nioveupward, shuttingfoi'l the. supply to f valve 52 Vandthe niain vplunger 32;

the tank at 28, and venting the tank to' at# rnesphere et vThe lopeninpje s iinultanee.

ously becomes: clearA for .passage of Water under service pressure through the by-pass,

and coinpartrneiits'll, 4:0 to seat the rcheek .valve i8 andv to maintain the plunger 32 and the valve `52 in the positions last described.

The system continues in this static condition 1 until the openingf'ofan outlet. Nhenf the tank is thus 'cut'.ol'lf from the supply'pres sure and Vventa-xd to atmosphere, itis under no stressV Jtroni the Vsein/ice. pressure; and

faucet is 'open which is always4 a Ywasting the liquid. lowever, the f orin comprising' a container, a pressure supply f line leading thereto and distributing line extending itherefrom, having a controlled outlet; combined withapparatus providingl a relatively small bypassagepast the con- Y Vtainer from the supply to the distributing. line, and having means operative upon the"V closing of the outlet'forV cutting'o'tf Vsaid container from bothsaid lines, and open-v ing the ley-passage between them.`

' '21A liquid Vstorage andsupply `system leo . erative upon theclosing of t comprising a container, pressure Vsupply'-A linerleading thereto and a distributing.line'` extending therefrom having a controlled outlet, and means for cutting olf said con tainer from both saidlines; combined with apparatus'providing a source of powerles-l yond the cut ont' inthe distributing line, op-L adapted to maintain clos in the supply line. f Y' Y 3. liquid storage' and supplyv system comprising a container, a pressureV supply lineleading thereto and a distributing line extending therefrom A havinga controlled outlet, and'meansfor cutting off said con--v tainer from both' said lines;V combinedA with apparatus providing a Source of power bei yond the cut 0H in the distributing line, op-

verative'upon the closing of the outlet and adapted to maintain closure oitV the cutgoif "outlet, Vwith means!for"ciitting oil'v said oo n-` tainerj from both said lines; Combined with` in the supply line; there-beinga means of reliet for the container, between said cut Y comprising a container, aqjressure supply. line leading thereto and a distributing lin-e' extending therefrom having :i controlled,

outlet, and means for cuttingvorl said contairier from both said lines; combined withY apparatus providing a source of power beyond thecut olf in the'distributing line, operative upon the closing ofthe outlet Aand Aadapted'to maintain closure of the cutoff in the supply line; there being a means' of relief for the container, between said cut offs, inter-connected with the supply cut otf and arranged Jfor opening and closing with the closing and opening,respectively, of the supply cut oil". f

5. A liquid storage Aand supply system 'comprising a container, a pressure supply.

line leading thereto and a distributing line extending therefrom having a coi'itrolledl outlet, and means for' cutting off said container from bothV said-lines; combined with apparatus providing a source of power be youdV the crit oil' in the distributing line,` oprie outlet and'k refofv the out ott" erative upon'the closing ofthe outlet. and adaptedv to' maintain closure .ofthe cut o in the supply line; there being a vent'V valve for the container, between said cut ons, and-V means 'wnereby'it is operative'when the supply cut off' is closed.

Y fieyjliqui'd storag'gev 'and supply'syst-enticomprising a container', a pressure'.supply apparatus providing va source of powerbes' 1f yond the `out olf in the, distributingwline,` Y

vSi)

adapted to maintain closure otathe ycut soil' operative upon the closinsf vof thefoutlet and in the supply line; there being means of Vref,V Y

liet orthe container and' means holding' said relietrme'ans inoperative lwhen the cut. offs 'are' not -in use, and releasin, 1 it'to be 35' operative when vrthe supply cut oil' i'slclosedl 7l A liquidil storageVv and supply system Y comprisinff a Vcontainer, `a pressure supply`v line leading thereto and' a distributing line i extending therefrom, having. a controlled outlet; combined'with apparatusfprovidingV a relatively lsmall'by-passage' past the con tainer' from-the supply tof thedistributing line, :and mechanism, Yin'cliiding intercon-j nectedvalves, vadapted to be loperated by momentumV of the flowing liquid, upon clo'- c v Vsure'jot' theV utletpfor shifting' saidvalves f torclose the supply and open the by-pass.

LA liquidstorage raiittsiipply systeinl comprising a.container'.` a pressure' supply' ,100, line leading thereto `and1a',distributing liiiej extendingtherefrom, yhaving a `controlledapparatus for providing sourceV ofV power be ond theY cut'oif'inthe distributinl line'z;

valves, adapted openthe supply and .disesjtablishrthe lsource i of power.

9. A iiquie storage 'am' suppiy Systemp ,comprising acontainer, ajpressure supply 1,15

lineleading'thereto and a distributing line extendingv therefrom, having a controlledY outlet,l with means for` 'cutting off saidl con'- tainer from both said lines; .combinedV lwith'l apparatus'for providing a source of power.v beyond the out' ott in the distributing line; and mechanism, including interconnected valves, adapted toibe shifted, Lupon closure ot the outlet, to. close the supply,- establish 1 the source of power, for, holdingitclo'sed izo and opena reliefforthe container, and, upon openingy 'of the outlet, toV open the supply, disestablish the Ysource of: power, close,`

the said relief.

10. AVA liquid storageand supply FsysternA f i' u so. f 

